Obama must accept consequences of his actions, sooner or later

When it comes to political controversy the Barack Obama presidency normally can count on the liberal wing of Congress to defend the actions taken - whatever the outcome.

Take for example the present political flap over trading five top ranking Taliban terrorist leaders for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, held in captivity in war-torn Afghanistan for five years.

I’m not going to weigh in on whether the soldier was a deserter or just a young man suffering emotionally from combat fatigue and grief for the Afghan people.

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To begin with the May 31 White House ceremony announcing the trade that had been negotiated between the United States and the Taliban was even “news” to ranking Senate Democrats - among them California’s Diane Feinstein. Yet at the Rose Garden ceremony, President Obama was flanked only by the soldier’s parents who had been advised of ongoing secret talks between the White House and the Taliban for their son’s release.

Pentagon officials said Bergdahl, now 28, left his platoon without notice or permission. Several fellow members of Berghdal’s infantry unit have alluded that by deserting ranks he had he jeopardized their safety.

One family claims their son was killed by Taliban militants while searching for the missing Berghdal.

While Obama’s aides defended the secret talks to free Berghdal, they did so by citing their concerns over Bergdahl’s failing health as the motive to swing the trade for the five Taliban leaders. By avoiding Congress Democrats and Republicans said Obama broke the law. They were to receive a 30-day notice on the release of any detainee at Guantanamo. When Congress passed the 30-day notice measure last year Obama argued it was unconstitutional.

In response to being chided over the terrorist swap, a defiant Obama retorted he will “not apologize.”

As for the Army veterans who accused Berghdal at deserting their unit, liberal media types snapped back by questioning if the soldiers were being used by Republicans to taint the Obama White House.

Then Secretary of State John Kerry scathed congressional members for claiming the free Taliban leaders can come back to harm the United States. “That’s a lot of baloney,” Kerry said in supporting the president’s executive order.

When Obama decided to trade away the five top Taliban leaders held at GITMO, did he even bother to get all the facts before jumping off the curb in hopes his prisoner swap would take some heat off the disgraceful VA scandal. In his first run for president six years ago Obama pledged he was going to fix the health care problem for the nation’s veterans. Just another broken campaign pledge.

We can not condone a U.S. military trade of known global terrorists, killers who were linked to the al-Qaida plotters of the deadly 9-11 attack on New York and the Pentagon Building.

Mr. President, you and your liberal cohorts claim the terrorists you set free are no longer a threat to America. Then why has the Taliban been seeking to free the five you sent off to the custody of Qatar, a Persian Gulf state. Just for one year. The global terrorist Taliban handpicked the GITMO detainees they wanted back. Obama delivered.

Meanwhile liberal media mouthpieces are singing Obama’s tune that the war is almost over so why not release the terrorists now to get Berghdal. But even by the president’s time table we’ll still have more than 5,000 boots on the ground in Afghanistan through 2016. If any of our remaining soldiers gets harmed, will Kerry apologize for his stupid “baloney” remark?

Speaking of political gaffs, Obama should stop sending Susan Rice out to speak for him at the first sign of trouble. We remember, as our U.N. ambassador, she was sent out to spin the false cover-up yarn about the anti-Muslim video as having sparked the Benghazi attack that killed four Americans, including our ambassador to Lybia.

In defending Obama’s prisoner swap, Rice, now the president’s national intelligence adviser, said Berghdal “served his country with honor and distinction.”

Two days later she defended her glowing tribute of “honor and distinction” meant Berghdal put on the Army uniform to protect his country.

Only time will tell if Berghdal was a deserter or emotionally confused when he walked away from his unit into the waiting arms of Taliban captors now claiming a political victory.

But let’s not blame Berghdal for his alleged misdeeds while in a combat zone.

Sooner or later Barack Obama must accept the reality his actions will continue to taint the legacy he seeks to leave as president.

When Obama takes a warranted rap from critics, he swipes at congressional Republicans for the Washington gridlock.

A few weeks ago at a fundraiser in Chicago the commander-in-chief said the unequal sharing of power in the U.S. Senate was the fault of our “founding fathers” who awarded two senate seats to every state - regardless of population..

Enough said.

Mitch Kehetian is a retired editor of The Macomb Daily and former board trustee at Central Michigan University.